Archive for April 2010

Today was Day 7. It was our last day in Los Angeles. I was going to leave the next day and head back to humid and hot Singapore. Ooohhh, how I dreaded that thought.

While we were on the plane in Singapore on our way to L.A., I overheard a Caucasian lady commented how much she loved Singapore and wishes to stay here. Then she added, "That's what I say whenever I go on a vacation!" It got me thinking that she might be right.

Look at what I did on my holiday! I shopped, I walked around, I dined at restaurants (if McDonalds can be considered as a restaurant as well), all we do is relax.

That Caucasian woman must be kidding though to give up the nice weather she gets in her country over a place that's hot yearly. Who would prefer HOT over COLD?

Anyway, today was Free & Easy day. Free & Easy on Z's well prepared itinerary meant WE HAD NO PLANS! Disappointed with my first TINY picture of the Hollywood sign, I read through the brochures Z had taken from the lobby at our lodge.

Most of them offered going to 'Hollywood Sign', 'Hollywood Celebrity Homes', 'Melrose Place', 'Rodeo Drive' and those popular attractions in L.A. Z did a lot of research online and saw many reviews about the Hollywood Celebrity Home tour being a 'con job'.

But I thought, what the heck? A part of the hollywood celebrity home tour was to drive us close to the hollywood sign which is the one thing I really want. The tiny picture I got from 1, 000, 000 feet away didn't satisfy me.

We were suppose to take the tour at 3 pm but after our lunch at McDonalds, we passed by the place that did the tour and the person in charge asked if I wanted to do it now.

Why not? We had no where to go already. So we agreed and took the earlier tour.

So we started our tour from Hollywood...

Theater showing Chicago. If only I had a husband who loves musicals coz I do. Would definitely prefer going to a musical than watching Deep Purple.

Capitol Records

Where Elvis Presley and many other musicians recorded their songs.

Finally, a better picture of the Hollywood sign. Last one I took was so tiny nothing could be seen.

Hollywood Sign

Previously, the Hollywood sign actually said Hollywood Land. In the 40s, some group or company took down the Land and named it Hollywood. Read here for more about Hollywood sign history.

Greystone Mansion, aka the Doheny Mansion, is a Tudor-style mansion on a landscaped estate with distinctive formal English gardens, located in Beverly Hills, California, United States.

The 55-room, Tudor-style former residence, 46,000 sq ft (4,300 m2), sits on 16 acres (65,000 m2) of land. At the time it was built, it cost over $3 million and was the most expensive home built in California up to that point.

That's not the mansion. The mansion is 10 times bigger than the picture above. That already huge house, well, that's where the housekeeper stays. They live in a place bigger than our homes here.

The house at the back, the white one with the brown roof, that's where Tom Cruise lives with his wife.

George Clooney used to live in that house before he made his big break. That house belonged to his aunt. Now? They never showed us where he lives now.

The balcony of Michael Jackson's rented mansion.

People all stopped and tried to take a peek inside. Of coz it's off limits to people. If only Neverland ranch is located at Beverly Hills as well. I would love to see the place that used to be his home, one that he build before all the molestation incident happened.

You'd be surprised to see where that house he rented is located. Just next to the mansion is the road is the main road and right next to his mansion was a bus stop. A bus stop? At Beverly Hills?

Anyway, there were a lot more houses that we were brought to. Even homes that Simon Cowell bought was there. I can't remember them all so I am not putting it up. I'll post all the raw pictures on Facebook.

Ladybug landed on Z's jeans

Colourful Mexican restaurant

The back of L.A Ink shop

The shop where L.A ink is shot. I honestly thought it was along a stretch of shops. Turns out, there's only three shops. The tattoo shop's located in the middle with Edible Arrangement shop on its right.

Kepercayaan Tom Cruise

We got back to Hollywood because I wanted to try snap some photos of the character along Hollywood discreetly. See, if you wanna take a picture with them, you gotta pay them. Since I am a cheapskate like that, I took a picture discreetly.

There's Spongebob

Michael Jackson before he was white. There was a white one as well. Didn't get to take a picture of him though.

Character from Avatar. They didn't look anything like them at all. The real Na'vi got large bulbous nose and huge eyes.

After snapping some photos, we took a bus and took a walk along Sunset Strip. Honestly, I've no idea what's the significance of that stretch of road, but Z said it's a popular place.

While we were walking, I saw a house with beautiful flowers along the steps that lead to their home.

Sunset Strip

To show how exhausted I was from the long walk

Our plan was to go to Santa Monica or Robertson Boulevard by bus coz we saw a yoghourt store and crepe store along that street while on the tour bus. So, we made our way there. Z insisted that we walk and I tell you IT WAS SUCH A LONG WALK I was so tired.

We stopped by a crepe store and sat outside the store coz it felt more romantic outside. By 6pm, it started to be real chilly outside. How I regretted sitting outside. It was freezing cold.

I wore my Juicy Couture bracelet that I bought from Rodeo Drive. That's the rainbow charm I bought. Z gave me the green light to buy one charm every month. Yayyyyy!

After we were done with our crepes, we took a walk down the stretch of road. Initially, I wondered why they had rainbow flags up. I thought they simply had it up since California is one of the states that allows gay marriage. Turns out, that was Gay Town!

While we were walking, they had gay clubs out in the open with guys in only underwear dancing to a pub full of guys who were seen hugging each other.

Two popular places in Los Angeles. Robertson Blvd is the one place to go if you want to spot a hollywood celebrity. Apparently, that's where they all go.

We continued on our walk late at night, not knowing what bus to take. Then we got back to the place Z brought me to several days back. Cedars Sinai. I was surprised Z knew of this place. When he brought me there the 1st time, he said, "It's a hospital for the celebrities."

So, that was it. We took the bus back to our lodge and began packing up to leave for Singapore the next morning. It saddens me having to write this because I really wish I could have stayed there longer.

I like United States. I don't think I'll ever get sick of visiting them all the time.

By Day 6 we were both extremely exhausted. Normally, we'd begin our before 9 am where we'd have breakfast provided at the lodge. It wouldn't be so bad if it had been two of us on this holiday. N did add to the exhaustion but we wouldn't have any other way.

On this day, we headed to Farmer's Market first to have brunch. We tried to look for kosher food but there were none. In the end, we had fish again.

At Farmer's Market

After having our brunch, we headed to The Grove at Farmer's Market. That place was beautiful. They had parks and trolleys to bring you from The Grove to Farmers Market. The place looked so gorgeous I wish we had one like that over here.

Cute gals took one of the flower. Wish I could do the same! Beautiful flowers isn't is? They've got so many along the streets.

N, Dora & Mama

Trolley at The Grove that brings people from The Grove to The Farmers Market. Not that it's really that far. It's a walking distance like from my place to the MRT station. It's takes me less than 5 minutes to get to Jurong Point. To get to the MRT station takes another 3 minutes.

Nice, huh?

They even have a park where people all sat down and relax. Kids ran around blowing bubbles while their parents looked on them. So relaxing.

Me buying some stuff

Had no idea that someone took a picture of me paying the cashier.

ALREADY FAT AND MAKING MYSELF FATTER me with a cup of Haagen-Dazs ice-cream in my hand.

I ordered Brownie Chocolate. A tub would cost $4.99 without tax while the cuppa cost me $3.99 without tax.

We were here when the iPad launched. I want one!

I think people who uses Apple are happier, at least I am.

My heart ached every day when I was using Microsoft. Now that I've switched to a Mac and changed my Nokia to an iPhone, my heart hasn't ached at all. The Apple never give me problems. Besides not being able to download some applications, which I can live without anyway, the Mac is perfect.

At Farmer's Market where we had our meal

Some shops at Farmer's Market

Barber Shop & Starbucks at Farmer's Market

We left Farmer's Market and began our walk down 3rd Street.

Background: There is a sign that says 3rd Street

Sigh. I think I'll go buy jogging shoes now. I've grown so fat my face's so fat and chubby. I feel extremely sad about my figure and the way I look. I've gained so much weight and it's up to me to control it.

I eat fattening things and I eat late at night. It's no one's fault but myself that I let go of myself this way. If I were to control my cravings better, I wouldn't have grown to the size of a walrus.

It annoys me that my husband tells me I look fine. Of coz, put me beside him and I look extremely petite. I walk around seeing everyone with their fine looking figure and their non-existant tummy.

Z said, and he says it all the time that I look beautiful but what's the point when I don't feel that way about myself?

I've a tummy that won't go away. My thighs are as thick as an elephant's trunk. Even my arms are bigger! My face, let's not get there coz it only makes me angry.

I met up with my relatives the other day who hasn't seen me for quite sometime and one person went, "Omg! Look at your cheeks. You've grown fat. Are you pregnant?"

Wow! So I look pregnant when I am not pregnant. Maybe that's also why I am too afraid of getting pregnant again. Coz if I were to have another child I'd be as huge as a blue whale and they're the largest animal around.

Even my MIL asked me if I was pregnant because I have a paunch. We just had supper and that is what happen each time we have a meal. My tummy grows so big I look like the time I was pregnant with N at 4 months!

*happy thoughts happy thoughts*

I hate being back here. I liked it when it was only N, Z and me.

Restaurants along the streets

This one is funny but smart. The name of the place is so catchy people would remember looking at it once.

So which one is it? Do not enter? Wrong way? Or one way?

Nice ride! The colour at least. Can spot it from a distance.

Flower along the streets

Came in Maroon and Brown. White and Purple. Blue and Dark Blue. Yellow and Blue Black. Pink and Dark Pink.

We walked and we walked and we walked until we reached Rodeo Drive.

At Rodeo Drive

Presenting Rodeo Drive

Typical L.A? With the palm tree and all.

Walking along Rodeo Drive. All the boutiques are located here. If only I brought USD 10, 000 instead.

Z took a picture of this

Ice-cream truck

We walked around Rodeo Drive and I looked at everything from outside. They're all too pricy for someone who earn zilch a month to afford. However, I did drop by Juicy Couture.

Since I bought the sandals, I thought Juicy was actually rather decent.

We walked around looking at things before I stopped by their jewelry shelf. They'd gold or silver charm bracelet starter with separate charms sold that are bright and colourful.

I wanted them coz the charm bracelet was different from the Tiffany bracelet Z had bought for me on my 17th birthday. Their charms were all unique and colourful, which is so very me.

No offense Tiffany, you're one of the high end accessory boutique around but your charms are awfully ugly. They're only silver and or encrusted with diamonds.

However, I knew Juicy wasn't oh-so-cheap so it was hard for me to make a decision. Z said, "If you want it, get it. Take is as a gift from me."

It a lil hard to know if Z really mean it coz sometimes he doesn't sound enthusiastic. I did have some cash left after shopping, but it wasn't enough to pay for the bracelet.

So I said to him, "Never mind, I'll pass."

I bought the Juicy Bracelet in the end. He said, "I wanted you to purchase something from Rodeo Drive." Aww. I love it so much! I got one charm bracelet starter, with three separate charms.

A rainbow charm, coz I love rainbows and colourful things!

A cupcake charm, complete with pink icing on top to signify my passion and desire to be a pastry chef one day.

A pink (obviously not real) diamond with a crown printed on it coz I am Z's lil pink princess.

Yes, I pick charms with meaning.

I am eyeing a roller balde Juicy charm online now. Coz I love to blade. I've been doing it for more than 14 years. It's longer than I know most people.

Too bad it's priced at SGD 50. A lil steep for me to afford right now. Never mind, I shall wait. If it's gone before I can get it, I shall look on the bright side. There are other charms to come.

Told her to hug it and take a picture. She did exactly as I told her to. Vain baby!

More pictures of N by herself. I came up with the idea suddenly. Her pictures are always with us, why can't it be by herself?

Stop & Pose

Little one wearing her mink jacket

Posing some more

Papa, hold my hand!

Everyone who saw her couldn't stop smiling and laughing at her. Throughout the whole time we were there, the Caucasians couldn't stop calling her a doll. Everywhere we went people would stop to take a look at her. Then they'll very kindly say, "Oh, she look like doll!"

My only assumption is that Asian kids look different to theirs. Like how we see Caucasian babies being extremely adorable but Asian ones like any other.

Nadya is a doll too.

If anyone knows Z personally, you may have seen a picture of Z seated with his team mates on that very steps. Because that steps has meaning to him, he told me to sit there as well.

N insist on going down the steps

Rodeo Drive with the sun really low

N look like she has no eyelids

The sun on my face makes me look extremely yellow

We left Rodeo Drive and headed to Santa Monica. Z said we had to go to the beach before the sun sets. Thank god we got there while the sun was about to set. It was gorgeous.

Just across the road was Santa Monica Beach

Santa Monica beach with the sun extremely low

Dramatized.

I laugh each time I see this picture. N looks like she's flying and she looks like she doesn't know what was going on. Like she's looking at me and thinking, "What in the world is that old woman doing!?"

N pointing at the bird in the sky. There were at least 20 seagulls flying around.

N kissed me in this picture.

N and I with the pier in the background.

Sunset

More sunset

I like the picture where I am only a shadow.

Santa Monica pier with a carnival

We had Japanese food after that and I had to take a picture of this. I see this take out box in movies all the time. Now I see them for myself.

Santa Monica

Carnival at Santa Monica beach

We ended our night there and headed back to our lodge. Santa Monica is loacted FAR from our lodge. We had no idea what bus to take and where their bus stops are. It isn't easy to take public transport there coz there aren't many around. Each bus stop has the most of three buses stopping there.

Since we were all extremely exhausted, we decided to take a cab back to our lodge. The meter jumped by 20cents faster than the beating of heart. By the time we got to the lodge, it has gone up to $60! It wasn't even that far. It took us 15 minutes to get back.

THAT'S HOW CLOSE IT WAS!

We decided not to think about it anymore and sleep. We still had ONE MORE DAY to go before our holiday would end.